An Analytical Study of the Out-of-plane Seismic Performance of Masonry Walls Reinforced with High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites

Abstract

Frequent earthquake occurrences in various regions of Korea have highlighted the urgent need that exists for the seismic retrofitting of unreinforced masonry buildings, which are particularly vulnerable to lateral forces. In this study, the out-of-plane seismic performance of masonry walls reinforced with high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) was evaluated using finite element analysis. ABAQUS was used to establish the analysis model, and the reliability of the model was validated by comparing the model results with shaking table test results. A parametric study of the reinforced masonry walls was thereafter conducted using the parameters of the reinforced sides of the walls (unilateral and bilateral) and thicknesses (10 and 20 mm). The analysis of the acceleration and displacement of the masonry walls revealed the beneficial effects of HPFRCCs on the out-of-plane seismic performance of the walls. The seismic performance of the walls was significantly enhanced when the HPFRCCs were applied to both sides of the walls.